Copenhagen (CPH) Airport & Passenger Statistics 2024

Page last updated: 30 September 2025

Copenhagen Airport (CPH), also known as Kastrup, is Denmark’s main airport and a major entry point for the Nordic region. Located 8 kilometers southeast of Copenhagen’s city center, it handles nearly 30 million passengers annually and connects Denmark and Southern Sweden to global destinations.

Overview

How many passengers pass through Copenhagen Airport each year?

Copenhagen Airport handles nearly 30 million passengers annually. It’s the busiest airport in the Nordic region and a major European hub.

In 2024, CPH processed 29.88 million passengers, an 11.6% increase YoY. This was a recovery to 98.7% of pre-pandemic levels.
The airport reached its highest-ever passenger volume in 2018 (30.3 million travelers).
During the COVID-19 pandemic, traffic fell sharply to 7.5 million in 2020, a 75.1% drop YoY. Recovery began steadily in 2021 (9.2 million passengers), followed by significant growth to 22.1 million in 2022 and 26.8 million in 2023.

Origin of Passengers

Copenhagen Airport is primarily an international hub. Domestic traffic makes up a small share of total passenger volume.

International travelers totaled 28.75 million in 2024, which accounts for 96.2% of total traffic.
Domestic travelers numbered 1.13 million (3.8%).

Passenger Origin: Domestic vs International

Year	Domestic Passengers	International Passengers
2019	1.49 M	28.77 M
2020	0.61 M	6.92 M
2021	0.85 M	8.33 M
2022	1.23 M	20.92 M
2023	1.20 M	25.57 M
2024	1.13 M	28.75 M

Arriving vs Departing Passengers

14.9 million passengers departed the Copenhagen airport in 2024.
Arriving passengers accounted for 14.98 million in 2024.

Passenger Flow: Arrival vs Departure

Year	Arrival	Departure
2019	15.2 M	15.1 M
2020	3.8 M	3.7 M
2021	4.6 M	4.6 M
2022	11.1 M	11.0 M
2023	13.4 M	13.4 M
2024	15.0 M	14.9 M

Passenger Demographics

Age distribution of passengers in 2024 by age group:

15-29: 32% of total travelers
30-39: 21%
40-49: 16%
50-59: 18%
Over 60: 13%

By gender, 51% of passengers were female, 48% male and 1% identified as non-binary.

Aircraft Operations at Copenhagen Airport

Copenhagen Airport managed 240,680 aircraft operations in 2024.

Total aircraft movements reached 240,680 in 2024, including all commercial and cargo takeoffs and landings. This represented a 5.9% increase YoY when the airport recorded 227,343 aircraft movements (2023).
Before the pandemic, the airport handled 263,411 aircraft movements, which then declined by 62.7% to 98,239 in 2020 due to the pandemic.

International vs Domestic Operations

More than 90% of Copenhagen Airport’s aircraft operations serve international routes.

In 2024, 221,694 operations were international, accounting for 92.1% of total operations.
Domestic operations accounted for the remaining 7.9% (18,986 operations).

Aircraft Operation Types: Domestic vs International

Year	Domestic Operation	International Operation
2019	27,225	236,186
2020	14,773	83,466
2021	17,325	92,600
2022	22,313	179,919
2023	21,015	206,328
2024	18,986	221,694

Which airlines operate the most flights out of Copenhagen Airport?

SAS is the airport’s largest carrier at CPH, representing 33% of total passenger traffic in 2024.
Norwegian followed with a 16% market share.
Ryanair, EasyJet and Lufthansa recorded 9%, 5% and 3% respectively.

Monthly Trends in Passenger Traffic

Copenhagen Airport shows seasonal patterns. Peak travel occurs in the summer.

July 2024 set a new monthly record (3.19 million passengers). June and August noted 2.85 million and 2.95 million respectively.
The quietest months in 2024 were January and February, with 1.71 million and 1.85 million passengers.

Passengers by Travel Purpose

66% of passengers at Copenhagen airport were holiday travellers in 2024.
The remaining 34% passengers were business travellers.

How many routes does Copenhagen Airport serve?

In 2024, the airport served 342 routes to 175 destinations, operated by 60 airlines.
There were 40 long-haul routes providing intercontinental access, key to CPH’s role as a northern European hub.
The route network is expanding, with SAS planning to launch 15 new routes from Copenhagen in 2025.

Which destinations are the most popular from Copenhagen Airport?

The most popular destination from Copenhagen Airport in 2024 was London (1.88 million passengers).
Oslo recorded 1.38 million passengers and Stockholm 1.29 million passengers.
Amsterdam recorded 1.16 million passengers, while Paris had 1 million passengers.

How much cargo does Copenhagen Airport handle annually?

Copenhagen Airport is Denmark’s primary air cargo hub, handling over 200,000 tons of freight each year.

In 2024, the airport moved 231,180 tons of cargo, up 21.3% YoY from 190,617 tons (2023).
In 2019, 269,701 tons were handled. That figure dropped to 147,608 tons in 2020 due to the pandemic.
Recovery has been gradual and, as of 2024, has not yet reached pre-pandemic levels.

How much revenue does Copenhagen Airport generate each year?

Copenhagen Airport generates over 4 billion DKK in revenue each year (except pandemic years) and exceeded 5 billion DKK for the first time in 2025.

The airport generated 4.35 billion DKK in total revenue in 2019, which fell by 63.7% to 1.58 billion DKK in 2020 due to the pandemic.
Revenue increased to 1.76 billion DKK in 2021, then to 3.53 billion DKK in 2022.
Revenue rose 15% to 4.06 billion DKK in 2023, followed by another rise in 2024 to 5.07 billion DKK, the highest in the airport’s history.

Operational Performance and Reliability

In 2024, 78.2% of arriving flights were on time, an 8.7% improvement YoY
Departure punctuality reached 80%, up 8.2% YoY.
Air traffic control pre-departure delays averaged 0.10 minutes per flight.

Notable Incidents at Copenhagen Airport

January 3, 2024: Ryanair Boeing 737 involved in non-damaging incident
July 6, 2022: British Airways Airbus A320 sustained minor damage
February 7, 2022: Finnair Embraer ERJ-190 experienced substantial damage
March 27, 2020: EAT Leipzig Airbus A300 cargo aircraft incurred minor damage
June 11, 2018: easyJet Europe Airbus A320 involved in minor incident
September 13, 1974: Conair of Scandinavia Boeing 720 experienced left main landing gear collapse on touchdown, damaging aircraft beyond repair but with no injuries.
August 28, 1971: Malév Hungarian Airlines Ilyushin Il-18 crashed into Øresund strait on approach due to a severe microburst encounter, resulting in significant casualties.
January 26, 1947: KLM Douglas DC-3 crashed after takeoff due to elevator control locks not being removed, killing all 22 people on board, including Prince Gustaf Adolf of Sweden and opera singer Grace Moore.

Copenhagen Airport Fast Fact

Copenhagen Airport covers an area of 11.8 km² (4.6 sq mi).
The airport has 3 runways.
- Runway 04L/22R: 3,600 m
- Runway 04R/22L: 3,300 m
- Runway 12/30: 2,800 m
The Airport has 6 piers.
- A: 35% of passengers in 2024
- B: 16%
- C: 18%
- D: 7%
- E: 7%
- F: 17%
Busiest day at the airport in 2024: 22 July
Average waiting time in security (2024): 4 min 35 sec

Other Airport Statistics

References

CPH: Copenhagen Airport Traffic Data
EC: Operational Performance of Copenhagen Airport
ASN: Notable Incidents at Copenhagen Airport